Ohio governor's race: How Mike DeWine's win stacks up against other historic victories

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine handily defeated former Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley in his reelection bid Tuesday, winning all but three counties.

The incumbent Republican's victory ranked among the most commanding in Ohio history, but it wasn't at the top of the list. Here are some of the biggest wins in the race for governor in recent history.

1. Gov. George Voinovich v. state Sen. Rob Burch: 1994

Democratic state Sen. Rob Burch holds the title for worst performance by a major party candidate in an Ohio governor's race in modern history. He won just under 25% of the vote to incumbent Republican Gov. George Voinovich's 72%.

Voinovich, a former Cleveland mayor, was extremely popular at the time and scared off better-known Democratic challengers. Burch, a little-known state senator, gave it a go.

The power of incumbency ultimately won out in this race, as was the case in most other lopsided gubernatorial victories.

However, the worst drubbing in Ohio history actually came in 1826 when Speaker of the Senate Allen Trimble, a National Republican from Highland County, won 84% of the vote over Democratic-Republican Alexander Campbell.

2. Gov. John Kasich v. Cuyahoga County executive Ed FitzGerald: 2014

Republican Gov. John Kasich rode his 86-county victory over Democrat Ed FitzGerald in 2014 all the way to a presidential bid in 2016, which was ultimately unsuccessful. Kasich won 63.6% of the vote to FitzGerald's 33%.

The staggering statistic impressed moderate Republican voters on the New Hampshire campaign trail − 86 of 88 counties in swing-state Ohio? − but Kasich's victory was more about FitzGerald's failings. The Democratic candidate didn't have a driver's license for more than a decade and was once found by police in a car with a woman who wasn't his wife.

The "Wreck of Ed FitzGerald" headlines wrote themselves.

3. Gov. Mike DeWine v. former Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley: 2022

DeWine defeated Whaley, 62.8% to 37.2% in final, unofficial results Tuesday. DeWine, the incumbent with 40-plus years of political experience, sailed to an easy victory. Several national television stations projected DeWine's win within minutes of polls closing.

DeWine won all but three counties: Columbus' Franklin, Cleveland's Cuyahoga and Athens County, home of Ohio University.

4. Gov. Jim Rhodes v. state Sen. Frazier Reams Jr.: 1966

Republican Gov. Jim Rhodes won four terms as Ohio's longest-serving governor, but his 1966 victory over Democratic state Sen. Frazier Reams was his most decisive. Rhodes won 62.2% of the vote to Reams' 37.8%.

Rhodes would go on to win tight races against Democratic Gov. John Gilligan in 1972 and then-Lt. Gov. Dick Celeste in 1978. Celeste, also a Democrat, would later win the governorship in 1982.

5. Gov. Dick Celeste v. former Gov. Jim Rhodes: 1986

Celeste v. Rhodes in 1986 was a battle of Ohio political giants, but it ultimately wasn't very close. Celeste easily defeated Rhodes, who was looking for a fifth term, 60.6% to 39.4%.

Rhodes tried to paint Celeste as corrupt after Celeste's campaign finance director and the Ohio Democratic Party's finance director were indicted. But voters weren't swayed.

"The election really comes down to a choice between a guy whose best years are behind him and a guy whose best years are ahead of him," Celeste told the Washington Post at the time.

Jessie Balmert is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Akron Beacon Journal, Cincinnati Enquirer, Columbus Dispatch and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

Get more political analysis by listening to the Ohio Politics Explained podcast

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio governor's race: How Mike DeWine's victory compares to historic wins